Sunday, September 15, 2013

Sep 14, 2013, 3:53 PM - TTUComment:
Hugh Cronin is no longer with the university. After his departure, administration continued to seek opportunities to partner with the campus and the student organization in an effort to strengthen the viability of the program intended to relocate the feral cats away from residence halls, dining halls, and child development center.

Since your report, the university has partnered with the campus feral cat caregivers to ensure no cats are trapped under Drane Hall. During this process, another opening was discovered in the basement allowing cats to freely enter and exit the building once again confirming cats had never been completely trapped underneath the building.

Before the remaining opening is sealed, a university employee will again put on protective hazmat gear and crawl under the building to verify there are no cats. As soon as the campus feral cat caregivers and anyone else interested in this process witness the search and are satisfied with the results, the opening will be permanently sealed.

Thank you for using the Ethics Point reporting system.

Sep 15, 2013, 9:49 AM - ReporterReply:
Finding a hole after the fact does not impact facilities management's
behavior or intent in the handling of this situation. It promised to
collaborate, then never did.

Your response did not address the
unprofessional behavior of Hugh Cronin (verbal abuse) or Chris Cook
(lying). It did not address President Nellis' or Chancellor Hance's
ignoring the problem for weeks to months.

If this is the quality
of investigation at a University level I am sorely disappointed. It
confirms my assessment that corporate compliance programs exist for
show.

Thank you TTU's Ethics Point for your non-answer to my identified concerns.

For those interested the complete report (as of this moment) is below:

Report Submission Date8/27/2013Reported Company/Branch Information

Name

Texas Tech University

Location

Texas Tech University - Lubbock
150 Administration Bldg.
Box 42005

City/State/Zip

Lubbock, TX, 79409

Violation Information

Issue Type

Inappropriate Supervisor Directive

Relationship to Institution

Other/Anonymous

What is the general nature of this matter?

Assistant Vice President Hugh Cronin of Facilities
Management is purposefully barricading Texas Tech's Feral Cats under
buildings without food or water, which is defined as animal cruelty
under Texas law. Multiple times Cronin has said all cats have been
removed and multiple times cats have been seen barricaded under
buildings with no food or water.

How did you become aware of this possible violation?

Other

If other, how?

TTU employees and area animal service organizations

Where did this incident or possible violation occur?

Drane Hall over the last week, other buildings prior to this

Please provide the specific or approximate time this incident occurred.

Thursday evening August 22 all cats removed
Friday morning August 23 two cats sighted behind metal grate with no food or water
Friday evening Cronin orders sheet metal installed so cats cannot be seen
Monday August 26 - two more cats sighted after someone removed sheet metal.
Tuesday August 27 - one more cat sighted

How long do you think this problem has been going on?

1 to 3 months

What leads you to believe the problem has been ongoing?

A June 3rd Tech announcement said the University
would partner with local animal service organizations on cat removal.
This turned out to be a complete untruth. Hugh Cronin did not ask for
and turned down numerous offers of aid on the safe and ethical removal
of Tech's community cats.

Please identify the person(s) you feel are engaged in this behavior.

Hugh Cronin - Asst. VP
Chris Cook - Comm/Mktg

For the persons named above please indicate whether or not they are affiliated with Texas Tech.

Yes, they are affiliated with TTU

Have you or someone else previously
reported this problem to your supervisor or management? If so, by
whom, to whom, when, and how?

I wrote President Nellis on this very issue and received no reply

Do you suspect or know that a supervisor or management is involved?

Yes

If yes, then who?

Chris Cook wrote that PETA was involved in helping
TTU address the issue. PETA officials, when contacted regarding Tech's
animal cruelty, said they had not been contacted by TTU. Cook's
blatant misrepresentation is an ethics violation.

What leads you to believe that a supervisor or management is involved?

Chris Cook wrote that PETA was involved in helping
TTU address the issue. PETA officials, when contacted regarding Tech's
animal cruelty, said they had not been contacted by TTU. Cook's
blatant misrepresentation is an ethics violation.

Please identify any persons who have attempted to conceal this problem and the steps they took to conceal it.

President Nellis ignored it
Chancellor Hance ignored it

Details

There are many e-mails and pictures. The e-mails
can be gotten internally via an IT search of Cronin's and Cook's
communications. Pictures exist on the website for the Humane Society of
West Texas and the State of the Division blog.

Follow-Up NotesSep 02, 2013, 12:38 PM - Reporter
A petition for TTU to install one way excluder devices instead of
sheet metal barricades was submitted to President Nellis. This petition
had over 330 signatures and was sent due to the urgent need to allow
cats out of crawl spaces to obtain food and water.

The Humane
Society of West Texas has a second petition with roughly 1,000
signatures asking TTU to reconsider its heavy handed, uncooperative
stategies in regard to feral cat removal.

As of Labor Day 2013
cats have been barricaded under Drane Hall with no food or water for two
weeks. TTU administration has shown no concern over the welfare of
these animals and ramped up its intimidation of people on TTU's campus
who are concerned about Tech's animal cruelty.

In one incident
the TTU police were called and animal cruelty reported. Assistant Vice
President Hugh Cronin was verbally abusive to the person making the
report

Sep 02, 2013, 1:54 PM - TTUComment:
Thank you for using the Ethics Point reporting system and for your additional information. We are currently looking into this matter.

Sep 11, 2013, 11:00 PM - Reporter
It's been two weeks since I submitted this concern. When might I hear something other than "we're looking into it?"Sep 14, 2013, 3:53 PM - TTUComment:
Hugh Cronin is no longer with the university. After his departure, administration continued to seek opportunities to partner with the campus and the student organization in an effort to strengthen the viability of the program intended to relocate the feral cats away from residence halls, dining halls, and child development center. Since your report, the university has partnered with the campus feral cat caregivers to ensure no cats are trapped under Drane Hall. During this process, another opening was discovered in the basement allowing cats to freely enter and exit the building once again confirming cats had never been completely trapped underneath the building. Before the remaining opening is sealed, a university employee will again put on protective hazmat gear and crawl under the building to verify there are no cats. As soon as the campus feral cat caregivers and anyone else interested in this process witness the search and are satisfied with the results, the opening will be permanently sealed.

Thank you for using the Ethics Point reporting system.Sep 15, 2013, 9:49 AM - ReporterReply:
Finding a hole after the fact does not impact facilities management's
behavior or intent in the handling of this situation. It promised to
collaborate, then never did.

Your response did not address the
unprofessional behavior of Hugh Cronin (verbal abuse) or Chris Cook
(lying). It did not address President Nellis' or Chancellor Hance's
ignoring the problem for weeks to months.

If this is the quality
of investigation at a University level I am sorely disappointed. It
confirms my assessment that corporate compliance programs exist for
show.